"All my life, I have given players an opportunity," said man manager Brendan Rodgers after Liverpool's 3-1 loss to Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium last night, Monday.

Liverpool may have lost the three points in the first big game of the new 2014-15 Premier League season, but they won the £16.5 million signature of Mario Balotelli who, earlier that evening, completed his transfer from AC Milan.

Eccentric Balotelli has been described as "impossible to manage" by his previous coaches, however, if ever there was a positive to arise out of the various incidents of gross misconduct that the club's star striker of last season Luis Suarez committed, then it is Rodgers's experience in handling a: temperamental athletes and b: delicate situations.

Indeed, Rodgers even got the very best out of Suarez as the Uruguayan enjoyed a career-best year at club-level last term.

The Ulsterman continued by commenting on why this version of Super Mario could be different to the "problem" player he may have been at Manchester City, Internazionale and even, most recently, Milan: "He [Balotelli] is 24 years of age, and has become a father now.